Whole Foods seeking liquor license for future Lower Macungie store

Whole Foods Market Group Inc. is seeking a liquor license for its planned store at the future Hamilton Crossings shopping center in Lower Macungie Township, the company's first grocery store in the Lehigh Valley.

Whole Foods has applied for an inter municipal transfer of a restaurant liquor license from 545 Cleveland Street, Allentown, to its future store at the 63-acre shopping center between Hamilton Boulevard and the Route 222 bypass at Krocks Road.

The $140 million shopping center, which also will feature the Lehigh Valley's first Costco store, as well as Target, Dick's Sporting Goods and other retailers, is expected to open in July 2016.

The 545 Cleveland Street is the site of the former Amigo Mio restaurant that closed in 2012.

The closest Whole Foods to the Lehigh Valley currently is in North Wales and Plymouth Meeting in Montgomery County.

Lower Macungie commissioners have scheduled a hearing on the liquor license request for their 7 p.m. meeting on Thursday, July 16, at the township building, 3400 Brookside Road. The board will hear comments from the public on the proposal before taking action on the request.

In a letter to the township, an attorney representing Whole Foods said the company is planning to sell beer and wine at a restaurant inside its store. The company says the restaurant will serve made-from-scratch food with fresh, natural and organic ingredients.

It says wine and beer will be sold only in the restaurant portion of the store.

Whole Foods is the second company to seek a liquor license for the shopping center.

In May, township commissioners approved a similar license transfer for Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, which plans to open at the shopping center.

In all, 33 retailers are planned at the site, including six to eight restaurants. The developers have not yet confirmed all of the tenants.